Bearing and lubricating means for rotatable shaft



R. O. ROBISON BEARING AND LUBRICATING MEANS FOR ROTATABLE SHAFT sept.24, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Oct. 18,4 1965 Mah? Sept. 24,1968 R. o. RoBxsoN v 3,403,274

BEARING AND LUBRICATING MEANS FOR ROTAT-ABLE SHAFT Original Filed oct.18,1965 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

nussE/.L o. Ros/50N United States Patent() 3,403,274 BEARING ANDLUBRICATING MEAN FOR ROTATABLE SHAFT Russell O. Robison, Plymouth, Ohio,assignor to Dominion Electric Corporation, a corporation of OhioOriginal application Oct. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 496,947, now Patent No.3,337,954, dated Aug. 29, 1967. Divided and this application Apr. 5,1967, Ser. No. 628,778

4 Claims. (Cl. 310-90) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pillow type porousmetal bearing structure for providing bearing support of an electricmotor shaft on a supporting post, such a molded plastic post deformableunder suicient sustained pressure, the bearing structure having a tongueportion extending outwardly and interftting in a recess in the post toresist rotation and obviating such pressure of a deforming character onthe post for holding the bearing structure to the post. Also, a postcontaining a lubricant in the recess in the post in contact with thetongue portion of the bearing structure protruding into the recesswhereby the lubricant is supplied by a wicking or capillary action tothe porous metal of the bearing structure through the tongue portion.

Relationship to other applications This application is a division ofapplication Ser. No. 496,947, tiled by applicant on Oct. 18, 1965, nowU.S. Patent 3,337,954.

My invention relates to bearing and lubricating means for the motorshaft of an electric-motor driven device, such as for example, anelectric knife.

The invention of this divisional application is shown in the environmentof my improved driving unit for an electric knife, subject of saidparent application Ser. No. 496,947.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved bearing structurefor a motor shaft supported on a post.

Another object is the provision of improved means for mounting a pillowbearing to a post of material deformable under suicient pressurethereon.

Another object is the provision for improved means for lubricatingpillow bearings of porous metal.

Another object is the provision for improving the maintenance of suchbearing structures in proper position and in lubricated condition.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had byreferring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a longitudinalsectional view in a horizontal plane of myimproved driving unit with the upper shell portion removed to show theinterior of the unit;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of my driving unit taken in avertical plane therethrough;

FIGURE 3 is a detailed sectional View taken through the line 3-3 ofFIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional View taken through the line 4-4 of FIGURE2;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken through the line 5-5 of FIGURE2;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of one of the coupling elements used forcoupling a knife blade to a revolving round cam driven by the electricmotor of the unit;

FIGURE 7 is a side view of the coupling element looking in the directionof the arrows 7-7 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a si-de view of the coupling element showing the shank of aknife blade mounted in position therein 3,403,274 Patented Sept. 24,1968 ice and with the blade locked in the socket of the couplingelement;

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 8 but showing the positionof the parts with the blade unlocke in the socket of the couplingelement; Y y

FIGURE l0 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrows 10-10 ofFIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 11 is a cross-sectional view taken through the line 11-11 ofFIGURE l0.

.My driving unit has a housing comprised of a lower shell 11 of suitablemolded plastic material and an upper shell 12 of suitable molded plasticmaterial which meets with the shell 11 to give a contoured smooth outersurface. Mounted in the housing near the rearward end thereof is abattery assembly 13. Forwardly of the battery assembly 13 in the housingis an electric motor denoted generally by the reference character 14,the motor being held in the housing by screws 16. The upper and lowershells are held together by the screw 15 interconnecting posts 11A ofthe lower shell and post 12A of the upper shell.

Integral with and extending upwardly from the shell 11 just forwardly ofthe battery assembly 13 is a hollow bearing-supporting post 17. Integraland extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the shell 11 justforwardly of the motor 14 is another hollow bearing-supporting post 18.The posts 17 and 18 are in alignment with each other and are positionedso as to support respective pillow bearings 19 and 20 through whichextend the rotating shaft of the motor 14. The posts 17 and 18 are roundin cross-section and have a hollow interior opening at the tops thereof.Filling the bore or interior of the post 17 is a lubricant-impregnatedbrous material 21. Similarly packed in the bore or interior of the post18 is a lubricant-impregnated brous material 22.

The rearward pillow bearing 19 has a downwardly directed tongue orprojection 19A of frusto-conical shape which substantially fills theupper end of the bore or interior of the post 17 and which tongue 19A isin intimate engagement with the material 21 so as to receive lubricanttherefrom by a capillary or wicking action. Similarly, the pillowbearing 20 has a downwardly directed tongue or projection 20A offrusto-conical shape which substantially closes the opening to the boreor interior of post 18. The tongue 20A is similarly in intimateengagement with the material 22 so as to receive lubricant therefrom bya capillary or wicking action. The pillow bearings 19 and 20, includingtheir respective tongues 19A and 20A, are formed of a molded porousmetal, such as bronze or the like, which permits lubricant to seeptherethrough, that is, to be absorbed within the material of the pillowbearing and thus to provide lubrication for the rotating shaft withint-he bore of the bearing accommodating the shaft.

Thus there is provided a good means for maintaining lubrication of thebearings and at the same time means is provided for preventing rot-ationof the bearings under the torque force imparted thereon by the rotationof the shaft. A cross-bar or strap 23 extends across the top of bearing19 and is secured by means of screws 25 to the lower shell 11 and holdsthe bearing downwardly in position. In view of the means for preventingrotation of the bearing as described, it is not necessary to press downon the top of the bearing -with the strap 23 as might otherwise benecessary. It is known that excessive force downwardly on such a bearingupon the supporting post of molded plastic material tends in time todistort and compress the material and thus to cause the bearing to getout of true alignment. However, with the arrangement shown anddescribed, it is not necessary to impart such a strong downward force onthe top of the bearing to resist such rotation and thus to obviatedistortion of the plastic supporting post. If desired, additional meansmay be provided on the upper surface of the `bearing 19 by making asmall ilat or longitudinally extending groove 19B thereon and byproviding two small spaced slits 23A in the cross-bar 23 so that thematerial between the slits 23A snugly engage in the at or groove. Thisaids in steadying and holding the upper portion of the bearing 19.

Similarly there is a cross-bar or strap 24 secured by screws 25 to thelower shell 11 extending over the pillow bearing 20 to hold the same inposition. Similarly by reason of the anti-rotation means described, lessforce is required by the strap 24 to hold the bearing in position.Similarly, also, small slits 24A may be provided in the strap 24 toengage in a flat or longitudinally extending groove 20B in the uppersurface of the bearing 20.

Carried by and extending forwardly of the rotating shaft of the motor 24is a worm gear 26y which is enmeshed with a drive gear 27 located belowthe worm gear 26. Carried by the drive gear 27 are a pair ofeccentrically mounted cams 28 and 29, these cams being positioned 180degrees apart relative to the laxis of the drive gear 27. The drive gear27 with the cams 28 and 29 carried thereby is journaled on a sha-ft 30.This shaft 30 is carried on two supporting posts 31 by two straps 32,the straps 32 being held down on the posts by screws 25.

Connected to each cam is a coupling or connecting element. A firstcoupling element34 is connected to cam 28 so yas to be reciprocated asthe cam 28 revolves. A second coupling element 35 is connected to thecam 29 so as to be reciprocated as the cam revolves.

Details of the construction of the coupling elements are better shown inFIGURES 6r, 7 and 8 and 9 wherein one of the coupling elements 35 isshown separated from the remainder of the driving unit. Couplingelements 34 and 35 are mirror images of each other and are similar ingeneral construction except that they face each other in opposition andhave their parts arranged as shown.

The coupling element 35 has a cam-engaging portion 35A which in turn hasan elongated aperture 35B for accommodating the cam 29 whereby revolvingof the cam 29 causes la reciprocating motion of the coupling element 35.A longitudinal portion 35C extends forwardly and has a recess or socket35D formed therein, which socket has an open side facing inwardly, thatis, toward the opposite coupling element 34 when in assembledarrangement. Near the forward upper end of the longitudinal portion 35Cis an elongated slot 35E, the major dimension of which is vertical, thatis, at right angles to the axis of the longitudinal portion 35C. Thiselongated slot 35E accommodates a first locking pin 36 which is movedupwardly land downwardly in the slot 35E.

The first locking pin 36 is carried by a pin-carrying member 38,preferably made of metal and having the shape illustrated in thedrawings. The member 38 has a pivot-supporting portion 38A which extendsinto a small slot 35G provided in the upper portion of the element 35.Adjacent the rearward end of the member 38 there is an angular abuttingportion 38B extending at right angles to the major portion of the member38 and extending as a wing away from the coupling element 35. Thearrangement of the pivot-supporting portion 38A in the small slot 35G issuch that the member 38 on the pivot support swings between thepositions illustrated in FIGURES 7 and 8 and the position illustrated inFIG- URE 9. The slot 35G permits any required play in the shifting ofthe axis of the pivot support 38A. The forward end of the member 38 hasthe locking pin 36 carried thereby which locking pin extends into theslot 35E. The swinging of the member 38 causes the pin 36 to moveupwardly and downwardly in the slot 35E.

A wire spring member 40 has its forward end firmly secured to the pin 36on the side of the element 35 which is opposite the member 38. Therearward end of the wire spring 40 is bent to form an end portion 40Awhich end portion 40A is anchored in a hole provided in the element 35.Forwardly of the anchored rear end of the spring 40 there is a hookedboss 35F extending outwardly from the side of the element 35. Thedisposition of the. hooked or overhanging boss E is such that the springmay be moved upwardly and under the boss 35F so that the boss 35Fprovides an abutment resisting further upward swinging of the spring 40.Thus, by the arrangement shown, the locking pin 36 is resiliently urgeddownwardly so as to be biased into the lower portion of the slot 35E.However, this resilient bias may be overcome by the pressing downwardlyof the angular abutment portion 38B so as to pivotally swing the member38 in a direction to raise the pin 36 against the bias of the spring 40.

My driving unit is particularly adapted to reciprocating in oppositedirections a pair of adjacent knife blades 44 and 45. The blades 44 and45 are mirror images of each other and lare similar in constructionexcept for having the parts arranged on opposite sides as illustrated.The knife blades have their forward portions broken away so that onlythe rearward portions thereof are shown in the drawings.

The blade 44 is shown mounted in the coupling element 35. The -blade 44has a tang portion 44A which is insertable in the socket 35D of thecoupling element 35. Interconnecting the tang portion 44A `and a cuttingblade portion 44C is an offset portion 44B. The cutting blade portionsof the two blades are disposed closely adjacent to each other so as toreciprocate in sliding engagement therewith. However, the tang portions0f the two blades are spaced apart but parallel to each other and thisrequires the offset portions, such as the angular offset portion 44B.The inner upper edge of the tang portion 44A has a chamfered corner 44Dwhich aids in introducing the tang portion 44A into the socket 35D. Alsothe chamfered edge portion 44D rst engages the locking pin 36 uponinsertion of the tang portion into the socket so that by a cammingaction the locking pin is raised upwardly so yas to clear the tangportion and to permit the same to enter the socket 35D. Formed in theupper edge of the tang portion 44A forwardly of the chamfered portion44D is a notch 44E which is provided for accommodating the locking pin36. When the pin 36 is in the notch 44E and held downwardly therein bythe spring 40, then the tang portion 44A may not be withdrawnlongitudinally from the socket 35D. However, upon pressing the angularabutment 38B downwardly, the spring 40 is overcome and the locking pin36 is raised out of the notch 44E and clears the tang portion 44A andthus permits the blade 44 to be withdrawn from the driving unit.

Formed in the lower portion of the longitudinal portion 35C andprotruding inwardly of the socket 35D, there is a small boss 351 whichis in the path of the tang portion 44A when moved into the socket 35D.Formed in the wall of the longitudinal portion 35C and extendingtherethrough is a small slit 35H having the form illustrated. As theplastic material of the element 35 is yieldably resilient, the movementof the tang portion 44A into the socket 35D depresses the small boss 351which is accommodated by the small slit 35H. This provides a resilientlyyieldable force tending to urge the tang portion 44A upwardly at thatlocation and aids in providing a firm grasp upon the tang portion 44A.

The second blade-connecting element 35 similarly engages the blade 45.It also has a wire spring 41 which urges a second locking pin 37 intoposition to interengage with a corresponding notch in the tang portion45A of blade 45. The second locking pin 37 is similarly carried by asecond pin-carrying member 39 which is actuated by an angular abuttingportion 39A moved in a similar manner as the abutting portion 38A.

The two elements 34 and 35 are reciprocated longitudinally of thehousing by the respective cams. The bottom of the shell 11 is providedwithparallel guide slideways 11B along which the elements 34 and 35slidably reciprocate. Positioned over the two reciprocal elements 34 and35 is a top slideway 43 which is mounted to the lower shell 11 by screws25. Thus the elements 34 and 35 are held sothat they may onlyreciprocate in parallel planes longitudinally of the housing.

The elements 34 and 35 are integral molded pieces of .plastic materialpreferably reinforced with glass fibers for strength. Also preferablythey are somewhat smooth and impregnated with a suitable lubricatingmaterial so as to provide good bearing characteristics where theirsurfaces engage the rotating cams and where their surfaces slidablyengage the upper and lower sldeways. Also the coupling elements 34 and35 may be molded of nylon, Teon or other such material having goodbearing and sliding characteristics.

The blade 44 is provided with a guard 46 and the blade 45 is providedwith a corresponding guard 47. The guards 46 and 47 are of a suitablehard plastic and air in preventing food from moving along the knifeblade into the housing and also aid in handling the blades in assemblingand disassembling them with the driving unit. The guards may be mountedon the blades =by providing two spaced holes through the blades whereshown and by upsetting with heat and pressure the plastic material ofthe blade so as to provide a riveted or pinned over-portion holding theguard to the blade. For example, the guard 46 is provided with rivetedor pinned over-portions 46A extending through the openings in the bladeso as to firmly hold the guard 46 to the blade.

To release the blades 44 and 45 from the respective locking pins 36 and37, a lbutton 49 is provided which button protrudes outwardly from thehousing near the forward upper end thereof. This release button 49 hastwo side arms 49A and 49B which are positioned over the respectiveabutting portions 38A and 39A of the two pincarrying members 38 and 39.Upon the pressing downwardly of the button 49 both the abutment portions38A and 39A are depressed and this in turn raises the two pins 36 and 37simultaneously. The longitudinal extent of the bottom surfaces of theside arms 49A and 49B is such that the abutting portions 38A and 39A arealways located under the side arms 49A and 49B and thus are in aposition to lbe engaged thereby regardless of the relative.A positionsof the elements 34 and 35 in their reciprocating motions.

My arrangement also includes means for coupling the blade-releasemechanism with the switch mechanism. Two switch leaves or reeds 51 and52 are carried by a post 12B protruding downwardly from the upper shell12. This post 12B has a lower hooked or angular portion 12C and therearward end .portions of the leaves or reeds 51 and 52 have openingstherein through which protrude the hooked or angular portion 12C. Apiece of electrical insulation 55 is positioned between the two leaves51 and 52 at the location of the post 12B. The rearward ends of theleaves 51 and 52 are electrically connected in the usual way to wires 53and 54, respectively, which wires in turn are in the electrical circuitof the driving unit. The leaves 51 and 52 are of good electricalconducting material and also have spring-like characteristics so as toprovide resiliently movable forward ends in the manner of leafsprings.The upper leaf Ior reed 51 has a downwardly directed contact 51A- andthe lower leaf or reed 52 has an upwardly directed contact 52A, thecontacts 51A and 52A being in opposition so as to be in electricalengagement upon the leaves 51 and 52 being moved toward each other andthus to provide an electrical circuit through the contacts 51A and 52A.

Slidably mounted on the upper shell 12 is a slide switch button 50 whichmay lbe moved forwardly to on position and rearwardly to olf positionwith the thumb or nger of the operator. The slide button 50 has guidingand securing portions 50A which [it under the slideway along opposingshoulders formed in the shell 12. There is a boss B extending downwardlyfrom the button 50 near the lforward end thereof. This boss 50B isdirected to slide along the upper surfaces of leaf `51 as the forwardend portion of the leaf 51 is bent or tilted upwardly at an incline.Forward movement of the button 50 to the position illustrated causes theboss 50B sliding forwardly to depress lby a camming action the upperleaf 51. Rearward movement of the button 50 away from the forward end ofthe leaf 51 permits the leaf 51 to move upwardly by reason of itsresilient action. Thus interengagement may be completed between thecontacts 51A and 52A by the longitudinal sliding action of the button50. The upturned forward portion of leaf 51 also by resilient action ofthe leaf causes a rearward camming action against boss 50B, resulting inbutton 50 lbeing returned to off position when manually released fromthe forward position shown.

The lower leaf 52 also of a resilient or spring-like material extendsforwardly under the button 49 and within the crotch formed by thebranching of the portions 49A and 49B. Downward pressing of the button49 depresses the lower leaf 52 and thus moves the contact 52A downwardlyaway from a location where it could be contacted by the upper contact51A. Thus with the lower leaf 52 depressed to its locati-on shown indotted lines in FIGURE 2, it is not possible for the sliding 'button 50to cause interconnection of contacts 51A and 52A and thus to completeclosing of the circuit. Thus, actuation of the lower leaf 52 by thebutton 49 is a safety switch which is auxiliary to or in addition to themanual sliding switch 50. Therefore, it is to be seen that the blades 44and 45 may not be released by the locking pins 36 and 37 unless thebutton 49 is depressed, which simultaneously moves the switchingelements to a position where an electrical circuit may not be completedand the switch may not be closed. This provides a safety feature andthus prevents the blades from being removed while the motor is energizedor while the motor could be energized by reason of the slide button 50`being left in a forward position. The button 49' is resiliently urgedupwardly by the lower leaf 52 and thus the 'button 49 must be manuallyheld downwardly while the locking pins are being disengaged and thissimultaneously breaks the electrical circuit of the drive unit andprevents the motor from being turned on inadvertently by forwardpositioning of the sliding button 50.

My invention also includes a novel method of mounting the contacts tothe batteries of the assembly 13. The batteries of the assembly 13 areof the rechargeable type whereby upon the unit being placed in acharging unit with the batteries being properly electrically connectedwith the charging unit, the batteries may be periodically recharged asrequired. In the illustration, the assembly 13 consists of batteries 57,58, 59 and 60 held together by a band 61. The batteries areinterconnected in series and the batteries in turn are electricallyconnected to the motor 14. Instead of having separate spring Contactelements carried by the housing, I mount a first spring contact arm 62to battery 57 at the base thereof and a second spring contact arm 63 tothe battery 59 at the post thereof. The contact arms 62 and 63 are ofresilient leaf spring material and are also electrically conductive. Oneend of each contact arm 62 and 63 is welded or otherwise mechanicallyand electrically bonded to the metal end of the battery upon which it ismounted, arm 62 being mounted to battery 57 and arm 63 being mounted tobattery 59.

The lower shell 11 has an end wall 11C projecting upwardly at the end toclose the end of the housing. Extending through this end wall 11C aretwo spaced openings 56A and 56B, which expose the arms 62 and 63 tocontacts protruding upwardly from a charging -unit (not shown). Thelowermost ends of the arms 62 and 63 are accommodated in recesses 56Cand 56D, respectively, so that the arms 62 and 63 are confined withinthe housing and may not move outwardly therefrom. As seen in thedrawing, each arm 62 and 63 is engageable by a protruding Contact orstud element of an electrical charging unit. By the arrangement shown,it is not necessary to have brackets and other such devices mounted tothe housing for carrying the contact arms and it is also not necessaryto have the contact arms interconnected with wiring and the like to thebatteries. The arrangement provides a good mechanical mounting with aminimum of parts for the contact arms and also assures a good electricalinterengagement for electrically connecting the batteries with acharging unit.

A unique and highly useful driving unit is provided by the abovedescribed and illustrated structure. Also the several structuralfeatures above shown and described in themselves have a marked utilityand provide improved results over comparable structures.

The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims,as well as that of the foregoing description.

Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with acertain degree of particularity, it is understood that the presentdisclosure of the preferred form has been made only by Way of exampleand that numerous changes in the details of construction and thecombination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a driving unit having a supporting shell and an electric motormounted thereon, said motor having a rotatable shaft to be bearinglysupported by said shell, the combination of a hollow post carried by theshell and having an open end providing access to the interior of thehollow post, lubricating material positioned in said hollow post, aporous molded metal pillow bearing receiving said shaft and providing abearing therefor, said pillow bearing having .a tongue portionintegrally formed therewith and extended down through said open end intothe interior of the post in lubricant-transfer association with 8 saidlubricating material for supplying lubricant to the pillow bearing, saidtongue portion in said open end cooperating with said post to preventrotation of the pillow bearing by the torque force imparted thereto bysaid rotatable shaft, and securing means for holding said pillow bearingdown on said post.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1 and in which said lubricatingmaterial is a fibrous material impregnated with a uid lubricant and isin intimate contact with said tongue portion of the pillow bearing tosupply lubricant thereto by a wicking or capillary action.

3. In a bearing structure, the combination of a porous molded metalbearing, said bearing having a tongue portion integral with andextending radially therefrom on a side of the bearing, a post forsupporting said bearing in position, said post being of a molded plasticmaterial or the like deformable under sustained pressure thereonsufficient to prevent rotation of the bearing on its axis by frictionalinterengagement of the bearing and post under a torque force imposed onthe bearing, said post being hollow and having an open end, said tongueportion being positioned into the said post through said open end, andsecuring means holding the bearing on said post with the tongue portionextending into the said hollow post through said open end, said tonguein said post resisting rotation of the bearing on its axis.

4. The combination claimed in claim 3 and including a mass oflubricating material in said hollow post in intimate contact with saidtongue portion to supply lubricant thereto `for seepage into the porousmetal of the bearing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,308,610 1/1943 Koch 308-1323,121,178 2/1964 Seyfried et al 310--90 X 3,332,727 7/1967 Gandrud308-132 X MARTIN P. SCHWADRON, Primary Examiner.

C. B. DORITY, Assistant Examiner.

